An urgent plea for assistance is spreading across social media to secure a critical medication for a 23-year-old pregnant woman in serious condition at the Provincial Hospital in Camagüey, suspected of having a blood clot.
A Facebook user identified as Gipsy Azucar Miel shared a video on Tuesday, urging the public to raise awareness of Naivin Álvarez Gallo's situation. Álvarez, a university student from the municipality of Sibanicú, is in desperate need of help.
"Followers, please, this is urgent. We need to share this. We need to find this medication," she implored at the beginning of her message.
According to her account, the young woman is pregnant and is currently in bed 4 of the Intensive Care Unit at the provincial hospital, "reported in serious condition with suspected thrombosis."
"Please, share this because she is pregnant, my God. This is critically urgent," stressed the person sharing the case, who also provided a contact method for Álvarez’s mother for anyone able to assist.
The information shared online reveals a significant discrepancy regarding the medication required. Initially identified as fraxiparine in the video, it was later clarified in the comments that enoxaparin is the medication being sought.
These are not merely two names for the same drug. According to the technical data from the Spanish Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices (AEMPS), Fraxiparine contains nadroparin calcium, a low molecular weight heparin with antithrombotic properties.
Enoxaparin, on the other hand, also falls under the category of low molecular weight heparins, with enoxaparin sodium as its active ingredient. It serves as an antithrombotic medication used, among other applications, to prevent and treat blood clots.
The technical data for Fraxiparine warns that nadroparin should not be used interchangeably with other low molecular weight heparins due to variations in preparations and dosages.
Given that the clarification regarding the medication appeared in a subsequent comment, it seems that the actual drug needed is enoxaparin sodium.
This call for help highlights a growing issue in Cuba: families and friends are turning to Facebook, WhatsApp, and other digital platforms to find medications unavailable in hospitals or pharmacies.
The situation reached a tragic peak in Camagüey in February when a 26-year-old woman died while her family struggled to obtain a necessary medication.
Later, the Provincial Hospital Manuel Ascunce Domenech publicly acknowledged its lack of norepinephrine, the first-line drug needed for the septic shock condition she was experiencing.
The severity of the shortage was acknowledged in August by Miguel Díaz-Canel himself: only about 30% of essential medications were available in Cuba, meaning seven out of ten critical drugs were missing.
The leader also admitted difficulties in providing care and studies for tens of thousands of pregnant women, children, and other vulnerable patients.
FAQs on Medication Shortages in Cuba
Why is there a medication shortage in Cuba?
Cuba faces a severe medication shortage due to economic challenges, limited production capacity, and difficulties in importing necessary drugs.
What is the difference between Fraxiparine and Enoxaparin?
Fraxiparine contains nadroparin calcium, while Enoxaparin contains enoxaparin sodium. Both are low molecular weight heparins, but they are not interchangeable due to differences in their formulations and dosages.
How are families in Cuba coping with the medication shortage?
Many families are turning to social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp to seek assistance from the community to find medications that are unavailable in local hospitals or pharmacies.